Believer, Father, Husband, High School Baseball Coach at Kings Way Christian, Founder/CEO at Momentous Wealth, golf, wake surf, pickleball and fitness.
@akm515@chamath Here is the real issue. I live in WA. An income tax has been on the ballot 7 times and turned down by the voters every time. Income taxes in WA must be approved by the voters via the state constitution. The real issue is the way this was crammed down our throats.
@GovBobFerguson@WAStateGov 1) Stop calling it a Millionaires Tax - it’s an income tax. Call it what is is. Stop lying.
2) This version is still unconstitutional, so there is that….
3) If you sign it, you will officially ruin the state. Everyone that actually produces anything is gone. Many have already.
@chamath The same thing is happening in Washington with the proposed “Millionaire” Tax. When will these Governors figure it out. Taxing the rich is such a lazy solution. It sounds good and is very easy to get voter support, but it just doesn’t work…
Unfortunate update as of today:
More calls from friends. The total wealth that has left California is now $1T.
We had $2T of billionaire wealth just a few weeks ago. Now, 50% of that wealth has left - taking their income tax revenue, sales tax revenue, real estate tax revenue and all their staffs (and their salaries and income taxes) with them.
In other words, by starting this ill conceived attempt at an asset tax, the California budget deficit will explode. And we still don’t know if the tax will even make the ballot.
California billionaires were reliable tax payers - 13.3% every year. They were the sheep you could shear forever. Now California will lose this revenue source FOREVER.
Unless this ballot initiative is pulled, we will not stop the billionaire exodus. With no rich people left in California, the middle class will have to foot the bill.
People I know, with a collective net worth of $500B, scrambled and left California for good yesterday.
They took no risk because of the proposed asset seizure tax - introduced as a “Billionaire Tax”.
Without these people, the California budget deficit will only get bigger.
This hole gets filled in one of two ways: more borrowing from the bond market - who is purely financial and unforgiving or more taxes on everyone else.
Meanwhile waste, fraud and abuse runs rampant from the hundreds of billions in revenues the state already collects.
@seattletimes False! Since WA implemented the Capital Gains tax we have seen a net wealth outflow of $2 billion annually after decades of net wealth inflows
@GovBobFerguson If you want to fix affordability, bring down gas taxes. In 2025 WA had the third highest gas tax in the entire country! Behind Hawaii and California. Gas prices impact the low income earners more than anything else. Bring this down and affordability if solved.
@GovBobFerguson I’d also love for you to explain how raising taxes on “millionaires” fixes affordability? If you create this tax and eliminate things like gas tax, sales tax, etc. then I’d agree. But this tax doesn’t replace anything. It is just in addition to the already “regressive” taxes.
@GovBobFerguson People making income of $1 million will not stay around and be subject to this. They are the most mobile part of the population. Most of them already have homes in warm weather states and it will be easy for them to spend 6+ months there and establish residency elsewhere.
@GovBobFerguson Please explain your first comment about how “the wealth” don’t pay their fair share of taxes. Don’t “the wealthy” pay more in sales tax, property taxes, etc. And also now ONLY “the wealthy” are subject to your capital gains and estate taxes.
@GovBobFerguson Now it is likely the wealth outflow will accelerate if you impose this tax. It is the same path California has done down. How has that worked out?
@GovBobFerguson Since WA implemented the Capital Gains tax the State has gone from having steady net positive wealth migration to an outflow of $2 billion per year. Now that some of the wealthiest people are leaving the state, tax revenue is dropping forcing you to raise taxes on the next group.
We also now have the highest Estate Tax in the country. This is what happens when State’s start to raise taxes. High earners leave and then the state is forced to raise taxes even more and the next tier, and the process continues….
I love living in Washington but I am worried about our State. In 2021 WA passed the controversial Capital Gains Tax that went into effect in 2022. From 2021 and 2022 we saw a net OUTFLOW of wealth of $1.66 Billion. It is the first time the state EVER saw a net wealth outflow.
We are no considering passing a payroll tax on anyone earning $150k or more specifically aimed a companies like Amazon and Microsoft. These companies have publicalled stated this will cause them to "Reconsider Where They Locate Jobs" This is very concerning…